The Huskers will compete in Arkansas at the Razorback Spring Invitational this weekend.

Photo Courtesy Scott Bruhn/NU Media Relations

Courtesy: NU Media Relations

03/27/2013

Meet: Razorback Spring Invitational Where: Fayetteville, Ark. (John McDonnell Field)When: Friday, March 29 (5:30 p.m.) - Saturday, March 30 (9 a.m.)Results: FlashResults.comThe Nebraska track and field team will be in Fayetteville, Ark., on Friday, March 29 and Saturday, March 30 for the Razorback Spring Invitational at John McDonnell Field.

The men’s and women’s hammer throw will kick off the competition on Friday at 8 p.m. On Saturday the action starts with the women’s discus at 9:30 a.m. The track events start at 1:30 p.m. as the women’s 3,0000 meter steeplechase will get underway.

Live results from the meet can be found at FlashResults.com, while other meet information will be available on ArkansasRazorbacks.com.

NU Men and Women Debut in Top 20

The Nebraska track and field team opened the 2013 outdoor season with both the men’s and women’s teams ranked in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Top 25. Released last Tuesday by the USTFCCCA, the Husker women debuted at No. 19, while the men will start the season ranked No. 17.

Texas A&M begins the outdoor season ranked No. 1 on the men’s side, while Kansas will start the season ranked first for the women.

The Big Ten was well-represented in the preseason rankings as five teams were ranked on the men’s side and four on the women’s side.

Wright Out of the Gate

Junior Chad Wright made his presence known in his first outdoor meet of the season, the Arizona State Invitational, with a winning throw of 189-3 in the men’s discus.

Wright currently ranks seventh in the NCAA and his mark leads the Big Ten.

Blackwood Takes Event Title

Junior Jodi-Rae Blackwood won the men’s 400m hurdles at the Arizona State Invitational, posting a time of 52.47. He ranks third in the conference and 18th in the nation in the event.

Women Throwers Excel in Arizona

Morgan Wilken finished fourth in the women’s discus with at throw of 172-10 (52.69). She currently leads the Big Ten and ranks ninth nationally. Additionally, Annie Jackson finished fourth in the shot put with a throw of 50-6 (15.39), while she also finished seventh in the discus with a personal-best throw of 154-8 (47.14). She ranks first in the Big Ten in the shot put.

The Nebraska track and field team wrapped up competition at the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships on March 8-9 in Fayetteville, Ark. The Huskers came away with five first-team All-America honors and six second-team honors.

Individually, Patrick Raedler finished fifth in the long jump for the Huskers, while the men’s 4x400 meter relay team broke the Nebraska indoor school record and earned a seventh-place finish.

Huskers Finish Second, Fourth at Big Ten Championships

The Nebraska track and field team put on a display at the 2013 Big Ten Indoor Championships, winning six event titles.

The jumps squad once again proved to be dominant as Nebraska swept the long and triple jump titles on the weekend. NU also posted runner-up finishes in both the men’s and women’s high jumps. The women’s team put on an outstanding performance during the championships and after leading following the first day of competition, the Huskers finished second with 112 points. Illinois won the women’s team title with 115 points, clipping Nebraska and keeping NU from back-to-back-to-back indoor conference team titles. The men came in fourth, posting 86.66 points, while Wisconsin won with 90 points, Illinois was second with 87.5 points and Penn State was third with 87 points.

Huskers Win Six Individual Titles

The Nebraska track and field team took home six individual titles after two days of competition at the conference championships in Geneva, Ohio. Jessica Furlan won the women’s 3,000 meters, while Mara Griva won titles in the long and triple jumps. Patrick Raedler finished first in the men’s long jump, while Janis Leitis took the men’s triple jump title. In addition, the men’s 4x400 meter relay team of Ricco Hall, Dexter McKenzie, Christian Sanderfer and Janis Leitis finished first.

Prestigious Pepin

Head Coach Gary Pepin holds 68 conference titles dating back to his first Big Eight win at the 1981 indoor meet. Pepin was honored by his peers on last season as the 2012 Big Ten Women’s Indoor Coach of the Year.

104 and Counting

As an overall program, the Huskers won 51 Big Eight titles during the conference’s history from 1974-1996 and Nebraska continued to dominate the conference since moving to the Big 12 in 1997. NU had won a league-high 23 team titles, including the program’s historic 100th conference team title in 2007.

The Huskers added their 101st and 102nd titles during the 2009 and 2010 outdoor seasons when they became the first men’s team in Big 12 history to win back-to-back team titles at the outdoor conference meet. Nebraska recorded its 103rd conference title in 2011, as the women’s team upset four-time defending champion Texas A&M at the indoor championships. Nebraska won its 104th title in 2012, beating Ohio State 114.50-106.

Big-Time Jumpers

The Husker women have been arguably one of the top programs when it comes to the high, long and triple jumps. The Huskers have won at least one title in one of the events at 12 of the previous 17 indoor conference championships and have won the triple jump crown nine times, including five straight wins from 2000 to 2004.

Mara Griva has led the Huskers in 2013, earning her third triple jump title at the conference meet, posting a mark of 42-11 1/2 (13.09).

Jumps-U

The Huskers’ jumps program was once again well represented at the national meet with four athletes earning six entries. Raedler finished fifth in the men’s long jump, while Janis Leitis was ninth and also recorded a ninth-place finish in the triple jump. James White came in 16th in the high jump, as Mara Griva finished 10th in the long jump and 11th in the triple jump.

Winning Ways

The all-time winningest track and field coach in the history of the Big 12 and the former Big Eight Conference, Nebraska Head Coach Gary Pepin is in his 33rd season at NU during the 2013 track and field season. The longest tenured active coach in Cornhusker athletics, 2013 will be Pepin’s 33rd season as head coach of both the Husker men’s and women’s track teams. Pepin captured 23 Big 12 titles as the Huskers’ leader.

In his first 32 seasons at Nebraska, Pepin has coached athletes to 57 NCAA titles, 477 All-America honors and 516 conference titles.

Nebraska has been a staple at the NCAA Indoor Championships as the men’s team alone has produced 120 All-America awards. The men’s squad has been on quite a roll as they have had at least one athlete earn All-American honors at the past 23 national meets. Since the indoor championships began in 1965, the Huskers have failed to leave with at least one All-America award on just five occasions, including 1975, 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1990.

The women’s team has been just as good indoors since the national meet started in 1980. Along with three straight national titles from 1982 to 1984, the Huskers have two or more All-Americans at every meet except for 2002 when they failed to earn a honor.

Huskers Name 2013 Captains

The Nebraska track and field team named its 2013 captains earlier this year. Leading the team this season will be Tommy Brinn, Jessica Furlan, Mara Griva, Tim Thompson, Bjorn Barrefors, Morgan Wilken, Chad Wright, Anne Martin, Seth Wiedel and Ellie Grooters.

Wright Under Consideration for Bowerman Award

Nebraska junior Chad Wright was listed among the names released on the initial Bowerman Watch List by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Wright is one of six who received votes on the initial ballot from the selection committee. The Bowerman, which debuted in 2009, is presented annually by the USTFCCCA to the most outstanding male and female collegiate track & field athletes in the nation. It is named after legendary coach Bill Bowerman. The award takes into consideration the performances during the indoor and outdoor NCAA track and field seasons.